FIELD                 BUSINESS

 

Review of First Line Management qualifications

 

National Certificate in First Line Management (Communications and Quality) (Level 3) [Ref: 0743]

National Certificate in First Line Management (Level 4) [Ref: 0649]

 

NZQA National Qualifications Services has completed the review of the qualifications listed above.

 

Date new versions published                                                          November 2007

 

The next review of these qualifications is planned to take place during 2012.

 

Summary of review and consultation process

 

The review was initiated with the NZQA Business and Management Advisory Group (ASG) in 2004 who considered the qualifications review in conjunction with a project to restructure some classifications within field Business.

 

Expressions of interest in review outcomes and feedback on qualifications were invited from stakeholder groups.  These groups included employers from small and large businesses, secondary and tertiary providers, moderators, workplace assessors, business associations and networks (such as New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants, New Zealand Institute of Management, Business New Zealand), industry training organisations, and relevant government agencies.

 

The qualifications review panel reconvened early in 2006 once reclassifications within field Business had occurred and the review and reclassification of standards in domain First Line Management were completed.

 

Review panellists included representatives from workplace assessors, tertiary education providers, Industry Training Federation, qualifications consultants, the Association of Administrative Professionals, and the NZQA Māori Business and Management Whakaruruhau.

 

Stakeholders were consulted in July and October 2006, initially about the desired range and structures of qualifications for a variety of target audiences; and then on proposed structures for each qualification.  Approximately 320 groups and/or individuals were included in the consultation.

 

All feedback received was considered by the review panel, and has informed final drafts.  There is evident need for qualifications targeted at people in the workplace progressing towards or in, supervisory or team leader roles.

 

The review panel endorsed final drafts, and NZQA Business and Management ASG endorsed the review process followed in May 2007.

 

Main changes resulting from the review

 

National Certificate in First Line Management (Communications and Quality) (Level 3) [Ref: 0743]

National Certificate in Business (First Line Management) (Level 3) [Ref: 0743]

 

Review category

B

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

 

Changes to structure and content

·      Changes were made to the purpose statement to reflect the new qualification structure.

·      The total number of credits for the qualification was increased from 42 to 45.

·      The compulsory section was reduced to three standards from domain Interpersonal Communications.

·      The elective section was divided into Elective A and Elective B to allow a wider choice of business and communication skills standards.

·      A new Elective C was added which allows standards from anywhere on the NQF.

 

People currently working towards version 2 of this qualification may either complete the requirements for that version or transfer their results to this version of the qualification.  The final date for assessments to take place for version 2 is December 2010.

 

National Certificate in First Line Management (Level 4) [Ref: 0649]

National Certificate in Business (First Line Management) (Level 4) [Ref: 0649]

 

Review category

B

See Key to Qualification Review Categories at the end of report

 

Changes to structure and content

·      Changes were made to the purpose statement to reflect the new qualification structure.

·      The total number of credits was increased from 40 to 45.

·      A compulsory section listing three standards that cover core skills and knowledge for a person working in a supervisory role has replaced Elective A.

·      Elective B was altered to allow a wider choice of business-related standards and renamed Elective A.

·      Two new elective sections were added which allow standards from subfield Communication Skills, and from anywhere on the NQF.

 

People currently working towards version 1 or 2 of this qualification may either complete the requirements for that version or transfer their results to this version of the qualification.  The final date for assessments to take place for version 2 is December 2010.

 

Transition arrangements

 

·         Providers are encouraged to offer programmes based on the new requirements from January 2008.

·         Anyone who feels disadvantaged by these transition arrangements should contact the standard setter:

 

NZQA National Qualification Services

PO Box 160

WELLINGTON

 

Telephone                 04 463 3000

Email                          nqs@nzqa.govt.nz

 

Key to Qualification Review Categories

 

Category A

The qualification is published as a new version with the same NQF ID

Changes are made to SSB name, contact details or purpose statement

No change is made to title, rules or components of the qualification

No transition arrangements are required

Category B

The qualification is published as a new version with the same NQF ID

Changes are made to title, rules or components

The new version of the qualification recognises a similar skill set to that recognised by the previous version

The SSB is confident that people awarded the new or previous version are comparable in terms of competence

Transition arrangements are required if candidates must gain additional/different credits for the new version

Category C

A new (replacement) qualification is published with new NQF ID

Significant changes are made to the qualification in terms of components, structure, type or level

The SSB views people with the replacement qualification as being significantly different in terms of competence from those with the replaced qualification

Transition arrangements are required

Transition may be limited to phase-out dates

Category D

Qualification will expire.

There is no replacement qualification

Qualification is no longer required by industry

The qualification is designated as expiring and a last date for meeting the qualification requirements is set